Swimming Lessons

This year we took swimming lessons at Happy Hollow Pool instead of at McCutcheon High School.  Even though Happy Hollow is a 15 minute drive for us, it was literally half as expensive as at the high school, and with three kids in lessons this year that made a big difference!

Spencer and Josh decided they liked this pool even better, which made all the slathering of sunscreen and driving worth it. (The pool at the HS is indoor.)  I liked it, too, since my friends Cyndi and Kanien had kids in lessons and we got to chat.  The only thing I wasn't much of a fan of were the swim suits the instructors wore - well, the lack thereof.  All of the girls wore rather skimpy and ill-fitting bikinis.  Okay, I'm not sure how professional you can really look teaching four year olds how to blow bubbles in the water, but I'm pretty sure a one piece suit would be a step in the right direction.  On top of that, if you're gonna wear a bikini, you'd better make sure it, well, fits.  Just sayin'.  (Yes, judgemental Maren has made an appearance.)

Anywho, a grand and glorious time was had by all.  I was planning on doing 2 sessions, but the next session was full and Spencer said he was kinda tired of lessons.  (I don't know that he was really tired of the lessons themselves or of how they took up our entire morning.)

I tried to get some pictures on the last day, but it was hard to get close enough.  I didn't get any good ones of Spencer, but I did get video of him jumping off of the diving board.  This was the first time he ever did it all by himself - and he did great!  After that he probably jumped off a dozen more times!

Poor Spencer still sinks like a rock in the pool.  He must have lead bones.  (And zero percent body fat.)  He still has issues treading water and doing a few other things.  So he'll be repeating level 2 again next time.  This wouldn't be so bad, but Josh was just promoted to level 2!  Josh is a little water bug.  He LOVES swimming and actually wants to learn how to do proper strokes and such.  I suspect we will have years of issues with the little brother being better at sports...

On the last day they got to bring pool toys.

Josh would go swimming every day if I'd let him.  And we would, but it's been so dang unseasonably cool this summer!  (Seriously - it's only been in the high 70's and low 80's lately. In July.  In Indiana.  Insane.)

Given Cole's sordid past with anything structured, I was a bit worried about how he would do.

He rocked it.  The kid loved swimming lessons!  Hopefully this will transfer over to preschool this fall...

And where was miss Tess during all of this?  Sitting with momma.  She's just a bit too young for lessons this year, much to her dismay.  But next year?  I'll have a whole half hour to myself while the kids are all in lessons!